Literary Voices

Bringing bold, brilliant, and boundary-pushing writers to the Hudson Valley.

The Beacon Litfest is a weekend of readings, talks, and collaborations that turns the whole town into a creative hub. We’re already planning our June 2026 lineup — get ready for announcements and mark your calendar. You won’t want to miss what’s coming.

Past Presenters

  • A woman with dark, wavy hair and a red patterned scarf around her neck, standing indoors in front of framed photographs and artwork.

    Francine Prose

  • Portrait of a man with curly hair, wearing a striped sweater, standing in front of a vertically striped background, crossing his arms.

    Dinaw Mengestu

  • A man with light skin, curly brown hair, wearing a light blue blazer and a white shirt with small black dots, standing outdoors with greenery and pink flowers in the background.

    Kristopher Jansma

  • Close-up of a woman with short, gray hair, wearing a dark coat, looking slightly to her right with a neutral expression.

    Stacey D'Erasmo

  • Close-up of a smiling woman with short, curly gray hair, wearing a dark green top, sitting in front of a window.

    C. O. Moed

  • A man with short hair and a slight smile, wearing a checkered shirt, standing in front of a dark background with a warm light source.

    Gregory Pardlo

  • An elderly woman with gray hair smiling, wearing a black turtleneck sweater and a pearl necklace, sitting indoors near a wall with blurred artwork.

    Ruth Danon

  • Portrait of an elderly man with white hair and glasses, wearing a dark blazer and gray shirt, standing indoors with artwork on the wall behind him.

    John Yau

  • A smiling woman with curly hair and a colorful tie-dye shirt next to a smiling man with a beard wearing a gray hoodie featuring Marvel characters, sitting close together and taking a selfie indoors.

    Vieve Radha Price & Chuck Obasi

  • A woman with shoulder-length reddish-brown hair, light skin, and wearing earrings and a dark top, looking at the camera with a slight smile.

    Julia Dahl

  • A woman with long dark hair and bangs taking a selfie outdoors, with green foliage and a blue shingled house in the background.

    Margot Douaihy

  • A woman wearing a red leather jacket over a white blouse with floral print, posing against a white background.

    Jode Millman

  • A young man with curly brown hair and a beard, wearing glasses, smiling at the camera in front of a stone wall.

    Josh Boardman

  • A middle-aged man with glasses, gray hair, a beard, and mustache taking a selfie outdoors against a rocky background.

    Peter Ullian

  • Close-up of a bald man with a goatee and mustache smiling indoors.

    Andrew Harris Salomon

  • Kristen Holt-Browning. A woman with light brown hair, glasses, and a black top, looking up at the camera against a dark background.

    Kristen Holt-Browning

  • A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair wearing a dark sleeveless top and silver jewelry, standing indoors in front of a wooden door and wall.

    Jennifer Egan

  • A woman with long blonde hair smiling in front of a bookshelf filled with books.

    Lucy Sante

  • A middle-aged man with gray hair wearing black glasses and a white shirt with small dark patterns, in front of a red and yellow background.

    Amitava Kumar

  • A smiling older woman with curly gray hair wearing a gray top and a pearl necklace.

    Abigail Thomas

  • A woman with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a black blazer, a multicolored bead necklace, and small gold earrings, posing against a plain gray background.

    Danielle Trussoni

  • A smiling man with gray hair, glasses, and a dark blazer sitting indoors.

    Timothy Liu

  • A middle-aged man with gray hair and glasses taking a selfie indoors. He has a goatee and is wearing a dark shirt with a striped collar.

    Edwin Torres

  • A smiling woman with long dark hair, wearing earrings, layered gold necklaces, and an orange floral top, sitting indoors with a wooden wall and teal wall background.

    Tina Cane

  • Woman with dark curly hair, glasses, and striped shirt, speaking or listening in a professional setting.

    Evie Shockley

  • A woman with short black hair, glasses, and a light striped shirt standing in front of a wooden background.

    Tiffany Troy

  • Smiling woman with dark hair and light skin, wearing a dark top, in a dimly lit setting.

    Jordan Kisner

  • Smiling man wearing a plaid shirt holding markers, standing in front of a backdrop with 'Cross' visible.

    Will Shortz

  • Man wearing a black hat and a yellow and red shirt, with a thoughtful expression, standing in front of a white curtain.

    Indran Amirthanayagam

  • A woman with straight, shoulder-length brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a cream-colored blouse with red polka dots and layered gold necklaces with pendants.

    Emily Mortimer

  • A woman with shoulder-length gray hair smiling, wearing a black top and pearl jewelry, standing against a gray background.

    Laura Sims

  • A middle-aged man with short brown hair is smiling, wearing a dark blue button-up shirt, and standing in front of wooden paneling.

    David Herskovits

  • A woman with short, curly dark hair wearing a black leather jacket, smiling against a dark gray background.

    Martine Bellen

  • A middle-aged man with gray hair and glasses, wearing a light-colored shirt, outdoors with trees in the background.

    Nigel Gearing

  • Woman with short hair and a red sparkly top speaking into a microphone, holding a book, smiling.

    Maria Dahvana Headley

  • A man with glasses and dark hair styled back, smiling, wearing a black T-shirt, standing in front of a brick wall.

    Ken Foster

  • Man speaking into microphone holding a small Pomeranian dog

    Panio Gianopoulos

  • Woman with long red hair and glasses speaking into a microphone.

    Elizabeth 'Betsy' Crane

  • Woman speaking into a microphone, wearing a suit jacket and a colorful bow tie, with blonde dreadlocks.

    Bettina 'Poet Gold' Wilkerson

  • A middle-aged man with gray hair, wearing a light blue button-up shirt, looking to his right against a plain background.

    Steven Massimilla

  • A smiling woman with long dark hair, wearing a dark-colored top, standing indoors.

    Aneda "Ned" Asta

  • Close-up of an older woman with short gray hair, wearing blue glasses, a dark turtleneck, and a purple sweater, standing against a plain light-colored background.

    Jennifer Fawcett

  • A man with dark hair, beard, and mustache smiling, wearing a brown leather jacket and a gray sweater, standing outdoors with a blurred background of glass and trees.

    Dawn Lundy Martin

  • A woman with short dark hair and a nose piercing sitting on a couch, resting her head on her hand, in a room with natural light.

    Mei Ying So

  • A smiling woman with long dark hair, wearing a dark-colored top, standing indoors.

    Crystal Hana Kim

  • Close-up of an older woman with short gray hair, wearing blue glasses, a dark turtleneck, and a purple sweater, standing against a plain light-colored background.

    Richard Eagan

  • A man with dark hair, beard, and mustache smiling, wearing a brown leather jacket and a gray sweater, standing outdoors with a blurred background of glass and trees.

    Jason Koo

  • A woman with short dark hair and a nose piercing sitting on a couch, resting her head on her hand, in a room with natural light.

    Silvina Lopez Medin

  • A man with gray curly hair, glasses, and a slight smile, wearing a dark shirt, outdoors near brick walls and trees.

    Jamie Price

  • Close-up of a smiling woman with short curly reddish-brown hair, wearing a black top and a pearl necklace.

    Charlotte Meehan

  • A woman with wavy brown hair smiling, wearing a light gray jacket and a patterned scarf, standing outdoors in front of a blurred railing.

    Ginger Strand

  • Close-up of an African American woman smiling, wearing glasses and an orange patterned top.

    Patricia Spears Jones

  • A woman with short, curly red hair smiling, wearing a gold necklace and a green top.

    Molly Ringwald

  • Man wearing yellow beanie and glasses, smiling in front of a wall with artwork

    Mitchell Jackson

  • A woman with curly red hair smiling, wearing a patterned shirt, sitting in a room with ornate decor and gold accents.

    Julie Metz

  • A man with dark hair, wearing a dark blazer and light collared shirt, sitting indoors.

    Joe Donohue

  • A woman with wavy, light brown hair and glasses, resting her chin on her hand, in front of a stone wall.

    Julie Chibbaro

  • A man with short dark hair and glasses, wearing a dark sweater over a blue shirt, smiling gently against a blue background.

    Ricardo Alberto Maldonado

  • Close-up portrait of a young woman with blue eyes and blonde hair.

    Marissa Levien

  • Close-up of a smiling Black woman with natural hair styled in twists, wearing a navy top, outdoors with blurred green background.

    Erica Hunt

  • Portrait of a man with dark hair, wearing a gray collared shirt, outdoors with trees and buildings in the background.

    Said Sayrafiezadeh

  • A woman with shoulder-length blonde curly hair wearing pink glasses and a colorful floral top.

    Donna Minkowitz

  • A woman with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a black turtleneck sweater, standing against a plain light-colored wall.

    Celia Barbour

  • A woman with light-colored, shoulder-length hair, wearing glasses, smiling, indoors with hanging pendant lights in the background.

    Catherine Barnett

  • A woman with short dark hair, glasses, and earrings, smiling in front of a colorful background that features a tree and animals.

    Gretchen Primack

  • A man wearing glasses and a navy blue coat, outdoors in a city setting, with a colorful knit beanie hat.

    Sean Singer

  • A woman with blonde wavy hair and blue eyes wearing a white turtleneck and a denim jacket, outdoors with rocks in the background.

    Amy Holman

  • Portrait of an older man with gray, curly hair wearing a black shirt, against a dark background.

    David Surface

  • Close-up of a woman smiling with curly dark hair, wearing earrings, indoors with a blurred cityscape in the background.

    Janlori Goldman

  • A woman with shoulder-length brown hair, glasses with tortoiseshell frames, and a black shirt, resting her chin on her hands in a dimly lit indoor setting.

    Natalia Rosenfeld

  • Person wearing a hat and sunglasses behind a metal fence, with a frustrated expression and fists gripping the bars.

    Drew Morrison

  • Close-up of an elderly man with a white beard and mustache, outdoors on a cloudy day, with a landscape of grass, rocks, and water in the background.

    Mike Jurkovic